There are many restaurants labeled as Chinese in Davis. Even some of the other forms of Asian restaurants tack on "And Chinese Food" somewhere on their signs. They are almost always referring to an Americanized version of Chinese food, which can be entirely different. It's just kind of its own thing. Hunan and Orange Hut are usually suggested as restaurants who do a good job straddling the line between Asian influence and Anglo-American taste buds. Davis' Chinese restaurants are quite a good deal at lunch time, but rice may cost a buck or two extra if you don't get a lunch special. Shanghai Town, followed by the Old Teahouse and maybe Davis Noodle City, are often considered the most authentic and unique to true Chinese food. Shanghai Town and Red Orchid Restaurant are the only restaurants in Davis that offer dim sum.
see also Dim Sum
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Restaurants
Grocery Store Deli Chinese
Specials
Lunch specials starting at $4.25 can be found at most restaurants.
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Hunan's specials are especially famous because of the variety and the fact that you get a crab-wanton and BOTH noodles and rice, along with the obligatory soup and tea.
Commentary
The sad thing is that arguably the most authentic Chinese food in Davis can be gotten at Old Teahouse, in terms of selection and serving food without sweet sauces, although this says little about quality there (which is uneven). For those who truly love authentic Chinese cuisine, it's hard to do much better than New Canton. Its Chinese name is something like "Tailwind," just to be random, and it is located on Broadway & 26th in Sacramento. Chef Tony Su used to be Executive Chef at ABC in Milpitas, which is the best Chinese restaurant in the Northern California (sharing this honor also with Hong Kong Flower Lounge in Millbrae). —jr
Comments:
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2004-11-16 00:39:04 I don't care what the best in the WORLD is if I can't get there. - MarieHuynh
2004-11-16 00:44:57 Hong Kong Flower Lounge is pretty impressive. The lobster and crab were excellent, but the lemon chicken and the rice were pretty bad. - MikeIvanov
2004-11-16 01:20:29 Even the best restaurants have their unfortunate moments. Bad rice? wow. - JaimeRaba
2004-11-29 20:26:02 How is it possible for a chinese restaurant to screw up rice?!? They use giant rice cookers, not bamboo stalks! - MarieHuynh
2006-10-29 01:13:55 go to sacramento for decent chinese food —PatrickSing
2007-06-02 18:26:17 I think Davis may have the highest Chinese restaurant to population ratio in California. It's absurd. —AlexPomeranz
2007-09-23 18:36:54 Ahh.. I would say the most authentic Chinese is Shanghai Town. Can't argue that New Canton is probably the best in SacTown. —atwong
